A Great, Simple, and Cheep Tool Every Seminarian Should Own

Going to seminary involves books… LOTS of books. Half way through my first semester I saw a guy in class open one of his books and proceed to place it on the small metal stand… BRILLIANT I thought. Right there, next to his laptop sat his book, wide open and propped up to reduce having to bend over.

The next day I went to my local Barnes and Nobel and picked one up for $4. It was an AMAZING investment.

Everyone reads in different places. Personally, I am a desk reader. That typically means I have the book on the desk and I’m hunched over it reading. This is a horrible position in which to spend long amounts of time. Now that I have my book stand I simply prop up the book (I usually set the stand on a couple of my bigger books to get it to eye level) and presto, the text is in front of my face and I can sit back and read.

Now, by far, the greatest use of the book stand comes into play during paper time. Being able to prop open a book I’m quoting from or referencing and not having to bend over to read the words then back up to type… priceless! I set the book I’m using right next to my screen and go to town.

Now, there are tons of Book Stand options. For me, the cheap, lightweight book stand is where its at. I can throw it in my bag and take it where ever I go. It makes for a great lunch companion when your hand are full of food and you need to read.

Any other book stand nerds out there?

Thrity Thursday - Great Commentary

Ok, we’re seminarians and we love books. I don’t often recommend books here as I’m sure you already have a backlog of books on your “to be purchased” list. However, I came across this amazing resource that is at an amazing price and thought it was worth sharing.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament is edited by D.A. Carson and G.K. Beale and is a comprehensive commentary of EVERY old testament reference in the new testament. For every reference there is a detailed explanation of the context from which the verse appears in the Old Testament, as well as its use and implication on the New Testament text. It is a truly amazing resource.

Now, the really sweet deal is that I found it at BUY.com for $31 (List is $54)… but wait, it gets better… if you use google check-out and it is the first time you’ve ever used it then you save another $10! That means you can get this amazing resource for $21. Worth every penny and then some if you ask me.

So, if you’re interested, check it out:

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old TestamentLeading evangelical scholars provide comprehensive commentary on every quotation, allusion, and echo of the Old Testament that appears in Matthew through Revelation.

Finding the Will of God

So, one of the books that helped me the most in finally making the decision to attend seminary was Bruce K. Waltke’s book, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? In his book Waltke masterfully addresses an issue that is all too common in the church, namely divination.

Somewhere along the lines we have come to the conclusion that God is some con-man trying to pull a slide-of-hand trick with us and keeping his will from us. So, with that in mind we try all kinds of cooky ways to try and find out what God’s will is (anyone else played bible roulette before?).

Waltke points out that what most Christians try to pass off as “finding God’s will” is really nothing different from pagan divination. To remedy the situation Waltke offers (the last half of the book) practical suggestions on how a believer can “know God’s will.”

Now, I’m not typically the kind of guy who like “step” books… 12 steps to a better prayer life, 101 ways to evangelize the lost… But Waltke’s recommendations are so simple, practical, and pastoral, that I couldn’t help myself from saying, “Duh… I knew that… maybe I should remember that next time.”

Now, pretty much, if I know someone who is trying to make a big life changing decission, I recommend this book… So, to you trying to decide if God is calling you to seminary… check it out.